Refrigerating apparatus



July 23, 1935. J. H. ASHBAUGH REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 11,1952 Patented July 23, 1935 REFRIGERATING APPARATUS John H. Ashbaugh,Longmeadow, Mass, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & ManufacturingCompany, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 11, 1932,Serial No. 604,590

3 Claims.

My invention relates to refrigerating apparatus, and particularly tocooling-air circulating means for refrigerators of the household type,water cooler type, and the like.

Refrigeration apparatus of this character comprises generally aheat-absorbing means and a heat-dissipating means, arranged in separatecompartments of a refrigerator cabinet. It is the usual practice toprovide devices for assisting heat dissipation from the heat-dissipatingmeans. In accordance with my invention, I provide conduit means to,circulate air so as to absorb heat from refrigerating apparatus, theconduit comprising essentially an inlet duct discharging air through acondenser into the machinery compartment, the latter forming a portionof the circulating conduit, and a discharge duct for discharging airfrom the machinery compartment to the outside. The inlet end or area ofthe inlet duct is preferably at -a lower level than the discharge end orexit area of the discharge duct, whereby thermo-syphonic action isavailable in assisting in the circulation of air. A fan is arranged inthe circulating conduit, preferably at the discharge side of thecondenser, and it is arranged to direct air over the motor compressorunit. The inlet duct includes a downwardly-directed inlet duct portion,a wall aperture, and an inner duct portion for conducting air passingthrough the aperture directly to the condenser. The discharge ductincludes a wall aperture and an upwardly directed discharge ductportion. The directions and extent of the inlet and outlet duct portionsavoid interference with air circulation due to closeness of the cabinetto'a wall, redug: the transmission of sound, due to the elbow bends atthe inlet and discharge portions of the circulating conduit, and providefor thermo-syphonic action. Transmission of sound is further reduced bysound-deadening material applied to the inlet and discharge ductportions.

In accordance with the above, it is an object of my invention to providean efficient air-circulating system for the heat-dissipating means of.refrigeration apparatus.

A further object of my invention is to provide an air circulatingconduit for a refrigerator having a downwardly-directed inlet and anupwardly directed outlet so that circulation of air is not impeded bycontiguity of the inlet and outlet to a room wall.

A further object of my invention is to provide an air-circulatingconduit for a refrigerator having its terminal portions constructed andarranged to resist sound transmission.

A further object of my invention is to provide an air circulatingconduit for a refrigerator having its inlet disposed at a lower levelthan its out- 5 let to secure the benefit of thermosyphonic action incirculating air.

It is still another object of my invention to provide an air circulatingduct which will supply cool air directly to the condenser of amechanical refrigerator.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparentfrom the following description and claims taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, forming a partof 5 this application, in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a compression refrigeration machinedisposed in a cabinet with the lid thereof removed, with parts brokenaway on line II of Fig. 2, and showing one embodiment of my invention;and,

Fig. 2 is a portion of a back elevational view of a refrigerator cabinettaken on line 11-11 of Fig. 1, with the lid of the cabinet added, andshowing an embodiment of my invention as utilized with a mechanicalrefrigerating apparatus.

Although I have shown my invention as applied to a compressionrefrigeration machine mounted in the top of a domestic refrigeratorcabinet it is understood that-my invention may be applied to any type ofair-cooled refrigeration apparatus disposed at any desired point in therefrigerator cabinet.

Referring specifically to the drawing for a detailed description of myinvention, numeral I designates generally a refrigerator machinecompartment in which are disposed a motor and compressor contained in acasing 3, a fan 4, and a condenser 2, the latter being preferablysurrounded by a housing 8.

An air circulator conduit is provided for absorbing heat from themachine compartment, comprising an air inlet duct and an outlet ordischarge duct. The inlet duct comprises an outer or inlet duct portion,an aperture 6 in the wall 5 of the cabinet I and an inside duct portion9. The inside duct portion 9 communicates with the housing 8 surroundingthe condenser 2, and the fan 4, preferably disposed on the opposite sideof the condenser 2 from the duct 9, draws air through the duct portion 9and housing 8 to cool the condenser by concentrating incoming airthereon. The outlet or discharge duct for air passing through themachine compartment l comprises an aperture 1 in the wall of the cabinetand an outside outlet or discharge duct portion M.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the air circulating conduitis constructed and applied in the following manner: attached to the backwall 5 of the machine compartment l by any suitable means, such as bybolts II, is an outside duct member I! cooperating with the back wall 5,to provide inlet and outlet duct portions communicating with theapertures 6 and I. The member '1 2 is preferably provided with adiagonal member l3 which divides a pan-like interior of the member I2into the two duct portions I4 and I5 communicating with apertures 6 andI, respectively. The duct portions l5 which cooperate with the air inletaperture 6 is preferably closed at the top by a member [5a. so that thesole path for air to travel into the machine compartment l is frombelow, the inlet or entrance being at the position of (lot and dash linea. The duct portion I4 is closed below by a member It, so that the onlypath for exhaust air from the machine compartment l is upward throughthe outlet at the level indicated by the dot and dash line b.Sound-deadening material I! is disposed inthe outside duct member l2 sothat noise from the machinery in the compartment l is deadened. Felt I8is also provided between the inner duct 9 and the back wall 5 of therefrigerator to provide a substantially air-tight non-rattling jointbetween the two.

When the fan 4 is actuated, air is drawn through the entrance at level aof the inlet duct, the latter including the duct portion IS, the wallaperture 6 and the duct portion 9, and then passes through the condenser2 to the fan. The fan discharges air into the machinery compartment, theair being directed over the motor and. compressor casing 3. Air isdischarged from the machinery compartment through the discharge ductincluding the aperture outlet 1 and the duct portion I4, the exit ordischarge opening of the discharge duct being at level I).

It will be readily seen that I have provided a means for directing airover a condenser and machinery of a mechanical refrigerator which drawsair from a lower level and exhausts it at a higher level, the structureproviding adequate and unimpeded flow area at all points and thedifference in level of the entrance and discharge areas providingthermo-syphon circulation assisting the fan. Also, the structure is suchthat circulation of air for the machine compartment of a mechanicalrefrigerator cannot be out off by pushing the cabinet close to a wall.Furthermore, due to the bent or angular formation of the conduit, andparticularly due to the use of sound-deadening material, noise isminimized.

I have used the expression machine compartment to define any compartmentother than the changes and modifications, without departing from thespirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitationsshall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as arespecifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet including a machinecompartment, a vertical wall of which is provided with air inlet andoutlet apertures; a motor, compressing means, condenser and fan disposedin the machine compartment; and

means cooperating with said apertures and disposed exteriorly of thevertical wall for directing air translated by the fan into and out ofthe ma-.

chine compartment, said means comprising a hollow pan and a dividingpartition cooperating with said vertical wall to provide inlet andoutlet conduit portions communicating with the inlet and outletapertures; the pan being open along its lower and upper edges for theextent of the inlet and outlet conduit portions, respectively, toprovide a downwardly directed inlet for air arranged at a lower levelthan the upwardly directed outlet.

2. An air duct construction for a refrigerator cabinet adapted to extendoutwardly from a wall thereof and comprising a hollow oblong panengaging with the wall and having the hollow portion thereof facing thewall, partition means cooperating with the wall and the hollow interiorof the pan to provide separate compartments, said wall having separateopenings communicating with each compartment and each compartment havinga separate opening communicating with the interior, said dividing meanscomprising a diagonal partition extending substantially along ahypothenuse of the oblong pan.

3. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet in- .cluding a machinecompartment, a vertical wall of which is provided with inlet and outletapertures; motor and compressing means disposed in the machinecompartment; and means cooperating with said apertures and disposedexteriorly of the vertical wall for directing air into and out of themachine compartment, said means comprising a hollow pan and a dividingpartition cooperating with said vertical wall to provide inlet andoutlet conduit portions communicating with the inlet and outletapertures; the pan being open along its lower and upper edges for asubstantial extent of the inlet and outlet portions respectively, toprovide a downwardly directed inlet for air arranged at a lower levelthan the upwardly directed outlet.

JOHN H. ASHBAUGH.

